The Valley That Grew Rich on Hops

NORTH YAKIMA, Wash., May — Yesterday I took a horseback ride into the Ahtanum Valley, lying west of North Yakima, for the purpose of observing the crop prospects and the methods of hop culture in vogue here. The Ahtanum Valley has been settled and cultivated for about twenty-five years, and one of the most profitable crops raised here is hops. The valley extends from the Yakima River west to the foothills of the Cascade Mountains, a distance of over twenty miles, containing many excellent farms under a high state of cultivation. There are many fine farm residences, surrounded by good and substantial outbuildings. The hills south of the Ahtanum are covered with bunch grass, affording excellent pasturage for large herds of horses, cattle and sheep, which were the principal source of revenue to the early settlers. This season, for the first time in eight years, owing to the light fall of snow last winter, there is a short supply of water for irrigating purposes, which has prevented ranchers living in the lower part of the valley from putting in full crops of grain; but it does not seem to affect the hop crop, which is looking fine and bids fair to yield an average.

I went into and examined the yard of Michael Doyle, who has ten acres of hops under cultivation. The only water supply he has had consists of the few light rains that have fallen this spring. The soil two inches beneath the surface was moist and would, I am assured, continue so, as it is of such a nature that it holds the moisture throughout the season. His yard was free from weeds, which do not grow as rapidly as in New York, and the vines presented a healthy appearance.

The method of training the vines adopted in his yard was the common one here. One pole is set to each hill, four strings being run horizontally from each hill to the four hills nearest at the height of about eight feet. I have seen no yards in which the tenting method so common in the East is resorted to. Four or five vines are put up each pole, making the same number to the hill as in the East. The vines are now being trained to run the strings, many of them being nearly across the space between the poles. Mr. Doyle was plowing out his hops and three men were at work tying and training the vines. The poles used by him are willows and quaking ash, mostly willows from sixteen to eighteen feet out of the ground. These poles come from the river bottoms. They are not as serviceable as the Canada cedars or the fir used at Puyallup. This spring several car loads of split fir poles were shipped in from west of the mountains. As they are much better than the native poles, they will probably be used more largely as the hop industry grows. These poles cost, by the car load, delivered at the station at this place, four to five cents each. They are usually cut about eighteen feet long.

The picking is done by the Yakima Indians, who have a reservation extending many miles to the south of this place. The single box holding from nine to ten bushels is used. The same style of box is used at Puyallup. The dry kilns used are similar to those in use in Oneida County. As there are no rains or heavy winds during the harvest season, no trouble is experienced in properly caring for the hops by an experienced dryer. The hops are put up in bales weighing from 170 to 200 pounds. The price received for the crop here last season averaged from fourteen to sixteen cents. I should judge that the cost of raising here, including interest on the land, would be from six to eight cents per pound. The average yield is from 1,800 to 2,000 pounds per acre. Good farm hands receive about $25 per month and board.

The hop business at present is in the hands of a few growers, but will be more extended as the land is taken up. Something over three hundred acres are now under cultivation, which is shipped from this place. There is a slight increase of acreage this year and an increased yield is anticipated.

A large ditch is now in process of construction which will be finished this year. This ditch will irrigate a large tract of fertile land lying north of this city, in which some of the large hop growers of Puyallup are interested. Good hop lands not yet broken can be purchased at from $30 to $40 per acre with water privilege. Lands already devoted to hop culture can be bought from $40 to $60 per acre. Small yards may be seen in the Naches Valley, which extends to the foothills in a westerly direction. The yards are not as large as in the Ahtanum. There are in all probably about forty farmers engaged in the hop business in this section.

The hop was first grown here by Charles and Hiram Carpenter, who came from Oneida County. They have become rich men by raising hops and engaging in the cattle business. They have been engaged in the business twelve or fourteen years, during which time there has never been a failure of the crop or any trouble with hops. —Yours truly.